Jesus The Firstfruits

The Feast of First Fruits

Jesus has risen

Exodus 19:10–11 “Yahweh also said to Moses, “Go to the people and set them apart as holy today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day Yahweh will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.”

God tells the people to get ready because on the 3rd day God would reveal Himself to them, just as Jesus revealed who He really was on the third day by conquering death.

Luke 24 (NKJV)

a. Jesus has risen

b. He appeared to His followers

c. He opened their eyes to the Scriptures

1 Corinthians 15:1-19

a. Jesus died, was buried, & rose, all according to Scripture

b. Our faith is worthless without the resurrection

c. They would be risking it all for nothing

d. Sin would remain unforgiven

e. We would be facing judgement without hope

2. The Feast of First Fruits

Leviticus 23:1–2 (NKJV) “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The feast of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.”

Leviticus 23:9–14 (LSB) “Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. ‘And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. ‘Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without blemish for a burnt offering to Yahweh. ‘Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to Yahweh for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. ‘Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your places of habitation.”

Deuteronomy 26:1–11 (LSB) ““Then it will be, when you enter the land which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance and you possess it and live in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground which you bring in from your land that Yahweh your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where Yahweh your God chooses for His name to dwell. “And you shall go to the priest who is in office in those days and say to him, ‘I declare this day to Yahweh my God that I have entered the land which Yahweh swore to our fathers to give us.’ “Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of Yahweh your God. “And you shall answer and say before Yahweh your God, ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; but there he became a great, mighty, and populous nation. ‘And the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us and imposed hard slave labor on us. ‘Then we cried out to Yahweh, the God of our fathers, and Yahweh heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression; and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders; and He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. ‘So now behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground which You, O Yahweh, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before Yahweh your God and worship before Yahweh your God; and you and the Levite and the sojourner who is among you shall be glad in all the good which Yahweh your God has given you and your household.”

Numbers 28:26–31 (LSB) “‘Also on the day of the first fruits, when you bring near a new grain offering to Yahweh in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. ‘And you shall bring near a burnt offering for a soothing aroma to Yahweh: two bulls from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs one year old; and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, a tenth for each of the seven lambs; also one male goat to make atonement for you. ‘Besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall offer them with their drink offerings. They shall be without blemish.”

Exodus 23:19 (LSB) ““You shall bring the choice first fruits of your ground into the house of Yahweh your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.”

a. The first fruits were offered at the temple before the crop was touched, and after this offering was made, everyone could then go and gather the harvest. The acceptance of the initial portion sanctified the entire yield. Israelites were not to eat of the new harvest until the firstfruits offering had been made to God.

b. The priest offered a lamb without blemish (Jesus is a perfect Lamb, 1 Peter 1:18–19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your futile conduct inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”)

c. The priest would offer a grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil (Jesus is the Bread of Life & the Messiah, Anointed One - John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”)

d. The priest also offered a drink offering of wine (Jesus blood shed for us - Matthew 26:28 “for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”)

e. The priest were to offer the first fruits from the ground (God brought Jesus from the tomb - Mark 16:2 “And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.” Matthew 28:6 ““He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”)

f. Jesus is raised on the third day, (“the day after the sabbath” same as First Fruits, Nisan 17) He presents Himself to God the Father on our behalf and was accepted and we are the harvest to come, same as with first fruits how priest would wave the first sheafs of the harvest before the Lord and only then could the rest of the harvest be gathered.

3. Jesus is the First Fruits

1 Corinthians 15:20–23 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

Colossians 1:15–18 “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, And in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”

Revelation 1:5 “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood-”

a. Colossians 1:15 — Firstborn Of All Creation (Jesus is described as “the firstborn of all creation,” where he is the enthroned and distinguished, one confessed as creator. “Firstborn” here emphasizes “first in place” rather than “first in time.” Jesus is the foremost of all creation, and this title shows that the Son in His humanity is now the foremost creature of all creation.

b. Colossians 1:16 — Creator of All Things (All things were created “by Him,” meaning Christ is their source, God the Father creates all things through His Son, and everything exists for Him as its ultimate purpose.)

c. Colossians 1:17 — Sustainer of All Things (Jesus is before all things and holds all things together. The Son conserves everything, all created things continue in existence because they share in Christ’s infinite fullness of existence.)

d. Colossians 1:18 — Firstborn from the Dead (Just as Paul describes Jesus as firstborn over creation, he also describes how Jesus is firstborn over death, and He will be the focus of everything, having first place in everything.)

e. 1 Corinthians 15:20–23 — Jesus is the First Fruits (First, it pointed to God as the source of new life, as only God can overrule death and create new life. Second, it suggested that Jesus’ resurrection guaranteed a great resurrection harvest of those who trust in Him.)

4. The 17th of Nisan Historical Events

 a. Nisan 17, Noah’s Ark safely rested on Mt. Ararat (Genesis 8:4 “In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.”) Note that the seventh month was later designated as the first month at the time of the Exodus (Exodus 12:2 ““This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.”) The Hebrew New Year begins in the month of Nisan (April). However, there is another calendar used to account for the days of the Flood. This account is documented in an ancient Jewish commentary on the Genesis passage (Seder Olam Rabbah / Hebrew for "The Great Order of the World". According to this ancient calendar, the ark rested on the mountain on precisely the same day that Jesus was resurrected from the tomb. Thousands of years before the resurrection, God engineered history to point towards the event of salvation. Just as the ancient judgment ended on the day the ark touched the ground, so the judgment of the restored world ended on the same day of the year when the tomb could not hold Him.

b. Nisan 17, Moses led the Israelites through the Parting of the Red Sea (We get the 17th from Numbers 33 and Exodus 5:3.

Moses recorded the fact that Israel crossed the Red Sea and physically left the land of Egypt on the 17th of Nisan in Numbers 33:1–8 “These are the journeys of the sons of Israel, by which they came out from the land of Egypt by their armies, by the hand of Moses and Aaron. And Moses wrote down their starting places according to their journeys by the command of Yahweh, and these are their journeys according to their starting places. They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month (Nisan); on the next day after the Passover (still the 15th) the sons of Israel started out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians (Remember, Israel’s days start at sunset) , but the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom Yahweh had struck down among them. Yahweh had also executed judgments on their gods. Then the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses and camped in Succoth (Evening of the 15th). They journeyed from Succoth and camped in Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness (Evening of 16th). They journeyed from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol (Evening of the 17th). They journeyed from before Hahiroth (morning of the 17th) and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness; and they went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.”

counting evenings/mornings from the 15th:

           • 15th: Leave Rameses, camp Succoth.

           • 16th: To Etham.

           • 17th: To Pi-hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea , followed by the post-crossing “three days’ journey” to Marah, which would complete the 7 day feast of unleavened bread.

c. Nisan 17, Israel entered and ate the first fruit of the Promised Land

Joshua 5:10–12 “Then the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal and celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. And on the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the yield of the land, unleavened cakes and roasted grain. Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the produce of the land of Canaan during that year.”

• Evening of the 14th Israel camped at Gilgal and celebrated the Passover

• They ate some of the yield of the land on the 15th

• Manna ceased on the 16th, after they had eaten some of the produce of the land

• On Nisan 17 they would entirely rely on the produce of the land & eat the first fruits of the promised land

d. Nisan 17, The cleansing of the Temple by Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:1-20)

Immediately upon becoming king, Hezekiah commenced a great religious reform. In eight days they had re opened the great Temple of Solomon and cleansed it of defilement. The cleansing of the temple was not completed until the sixteenth day of the first month (Nisan) and on the seventeenth day “King Hezekiah rose early” and went up to the house of the Lord.

Hezekiah's re consecration on Nisan 17 prefigures Christ's resurrection on that same date. The restoration of the temple to proper worship anticipates the ultimate restoration accomplished through Christ.

e.  Nisan 17, Queen Esther saved the Jews from Elimination

Haman had convinced the king to sign a decree to destroy the Hebrews. The decree went out on the 13th Nisan (Esther 3:11–13 “And the king said to Haman, “The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them according to what is good in your eyes.” Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its tongue, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. And letters were sent by the hand of couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill, and to cause all the Jews to perish, both young and old, little ones and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their spoil.”). Esther then proclaimed a three-day fast (Esther 4:16 ““Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.””) for the 14th, 15th and 16th. On the 3rd day (Esther 5:1 “Now it happened on the third day, that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s house in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to his house.”) Esther approached the king saying to herself ‘If I perish, I perish!’ (an attitude of death or resurrection… it’s in God’s hands) On the 17th Nisan, the tables were turned on the enemy Haman and instead of the Jews being destroyed, his own life was taken. (Esther 7:1–3 “Then the king and Haman came to drink wine with Esther the queen. And the king said to Esther on the second day also as they drank their wine at the feast, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be given you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, O king, and if it seems good to the king, let my life be given to me as my petition, and my people as my request;”)

• The decree went out on the 13th Nisan

• Esther proclaimed a three-day fast for the 14th, 15th and 16th

• Esther approached the king on the 3rd day, Nisan 16th

• On the “second day” (Nisan 17) the tables were turned on the enemy

f. Nisan 17, The Resurrection of Messiah

With the death of Jesus, all would have looked lost to His disciples and followers. Their Messiah was dead, the One they had placed all their hope in was gone and two of them headed out of town to Emmaus. The disciples, being Jewish, knew that God had told Moses that the first Sunday following the Sabbath after Passover would be the feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9–14). It was on this day that they were to offer to God the first-fruits of the harvest, and yet, even the disciples didn’t see that God was starting a new first fruits on this day, the 17th Nisan. A first fruits of those that would be raised from the dead.

Luke 24:1–8 “Now on the first day of the week, (17th of Nisan) at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing, and when the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words,”

Just like the defeat of the Egyptians and the death of Haman on this same day, this Sunday morning on Nisan 17th saw the resurrection of Jesus and the defeat of Satan & death.

The odds of just two of these events of Nisan 17 both happening accidentally on the same day of the Hebrew year (360 days) are one in 129,000. The odds of these events all happening coincidentally on the same day of the Hebrew year are one in 783 quadrillions, 864 trillion, 876 Billion, 960 Million (783,864,876,960,000,000).

5. First Fruits is Resurrection Day

The pharisees would have been going out to wave the barley to the Lord at daybreak on Sunday 17 Nisan, the same time Jesus rose.

In Jesus day many Jews expected a mass resurrection, when Messiah came, not just a one man resurrection, but Jesus was the firstfruits (the sample) used to sanctify the rest which will be raised in the future. The barley harvest came first then the wheat harvest. So Jesus was raised first and then His followers in the future.

Romans 11:16 (“And if the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.”)

this is referring to Jesus being holy so we are made holy through Him.

He was offered as the perfect sacrifice to sanctify us for God.

because Jesus was accepted we will be accepted.

The feast of First Fruits is the Lord’s feast.

Spring is when we see the dead looking winter ground come alive and flourish, so it is that First Fruits is a new beginning.

Death has been turned into life and defeat into victory.  Like the two travelers on the road to Emmaus, on that Feast of First Fruits, let our eyes be opened to the Scriptures today.